acs beirut - matters...on friday, october 21st, the peer and senior mentors ventured up to the acs...

The American Community School at Beirut Newsletter | Winter 2012

MATTERS Volume XVI

Rifaq al Darb

5

We are Double Champions in 2011! 6

ACS Debate and Forensics 11

Fall Mini-NESA Conference 28

ACS History Part 2 30

Digital Photography Two Heads

for the Mountains 32

“The only gift is a portionof thyself.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gifts abound.

Parents and students host guests for a tournament with all the warmth of Lebanon. The choir performs after hours of focused work to give us crystalline music. The football teams play with their hearts and feel the success. Fourteen teams give their time to raise money for the National Honor Society. Each week students give of themselves to help others. Parents organize and create events that engage students and other parents in the act of giving. A young child shares the work of his hands with pride and thanks. A smile each day gives life to the recipient. In the ACS school community the act of giving is not seasonal, but rather a daily enrichment of our lives and of those to whom we give.

To feel the act of giving we practice it every day at school, for the simplest small act of kindness costs nothing. Each morning we invite you to join in our practice of saying, “Good Morning” with a smile and watch the reaction. The school’s gift policy is based on this concept of a gift that has part of the giver in it. In this season of giving and the celebrations of the New Year, look for yourself in each gift you give.

The act of giving takes practice. Children experience it from an early age, starting with sharing what they have with others. Recycling is another gift, a way of giving back to nature and saying we care. Helping a friend to understand how to make good choices is a gift. Listening is a gift. Allowing for silence is a gift. Hugging is a gift. Being respectful is a gift. Being cooperative and collaborative is a gift. Recognizing and thanking someone is a gift. Being at ACS as a member of this community is a gift, but a gift that comes with the responsibility of creating an environment of gift-giving each day.

Make one person smile each day and feel your gift embrace and improve a small part of the world. As we enter 2013, the media will continue to regale us with all that is wrong in the world. We can practice what is right in the world every day at ACS.

Happy New Year and may each of you start 2012 as a giver and recipient of small gifts.

Dr. George H. Damon

Our GiftDr. George H. Damon, Headmaster

Winter 2012 | volume XVI |

Fall Peer Mentor RetreatYaellie Deroca and Reem Chamseddine

On Friday, October 21st, the Peer and Senior Mentors ventured up to the ACS Outdoor Education Center in Deir-El-Qamar for the Peer Mentor Fall Retreat.

Peer Mentor is a program in which 22 sophomores and juniors “mentor” the incoming freshman class, by helping the freshmen transition into high school smoothly and checking in with them about their school work, activities and social life. Six Senior Mentors are also part of the program, but they have more general tasks like planning activities and organizing with Ms. Jodie Thiel, the peer mentor coordinator.

The purpose of the retreat was for all the peer mentors to come together early in the year and discuss plans and talk about mentoring and leadership. On Friday afternoon, after a lovely ride from Beirut, we set up tents out in the open, played games focused on communication and team building, had dinner and a campfire, and watched a funny movie to end the day. On Saturday, we started off with breakfast and went on to do more team building activities, making use of the outdoor center’s low ropes course and zip-line. Over the two days we had a couple of sessions to discuss the peer mentor program and how we can make it better.

On Saturday at noon, we packed our stuff and headed back to school, surprised at how fast this retreat passed by. But we can safely say that it was a great time for all of us; we all got a chance to bond, to learn more about mentoring and to have fun.

Iqra Community Service GroupHuda Shatah, Community Service Coordinator

The ACS community service program is growing better and better every year. This year we started grade-level community service projects. Three students were selected from each high school grade to work closely with the community service coordinator on a project for their grade. We encourage students to plan and do activities that they are interested in. We are trying to enable students to realize that they can make a difference in others’ lives by getting involved in activities that not only interest them, but also raise their awareness of ways to make our world a better place.

Jasmine Abu Hamdan, Tala El-Hajj, and Lynn Soueid are the grade 9 representatives. Their community service project is volunteering with “Iqra” (read). This association nurtures the minds of children in underprivileged schools by reading and finding alternative and more active ways of learning. Every Saturday ACS students join “Iqra” members and visit public schools between 8:30 and 12:00 noon to read and work on educational activities. The students are divided into 2 groups of 6 students each. One group is in charge of educating the children in Arabic, while the other group is in charge of teaching the students English. ACS students do not have to come every Saturday, but should be committed to come at least once every three weeks.

When a student participates in any community service, they need to be open minded and caring. They should have a personal commitment to service and act to make a positive difference in the lives of others who are less fortunate.


Rifaq al DarbHuda Shatah, Community Service Coordinator

On Saturday, Oct 8th, a group of 30 ACS high school students went on a community service trip to serve lunch for 350 elders who have no families around. This event was organized by “Rifaq al Darb,” an organization that cares for needy stay-at-home elders. The day began at 8:30 a.m. with an hour drive to the restaurant where we planned to spend the day.

Our job was to assist each of elders to his/her table and serve them lunch. Although some people were a little shy at first - both our students and the elderly-- everyone quickly warmed up to each other. They began by serving coffee until everyone was seated; this turned out to be more of a challenging task than some of us realized. Serving lunch was no less challenging, and no less entertaining. Several of the elderly enjoyed the company of the students so much that they insisted they stay with their table for the entire day.

After lunch a live band played music and everyone got up and danced, including our very own students. This trip taught our students more than just the value of spending time with elderly people. It taught them to appreciate their own aging family and to show them care, even when they sometimes don’t understand or are surprised by their behavior. It was a wonderful trip, full of lessons and laughter. We look forward to participating in similar lunches in the future.

We are Double Champions in 2011!Timothy Doran, Athletic Director/Activities Coordinator

Many thanks are due to a large number of people without whom this event could not have been successful. Françoise Doran held down the fort in organizing much of the logistics and in acting as liaison with our parent hosting committee led by Mrs. Dalloul and Mrs. Afsh. The committee was invaluable in making the connections with our ACS community to set up guest arrangements for our visitors. ACS staff provided housing for visiting coaches and numerous goodies for our hospitality room to feed coaches, referees and volunteers during the tournament. The ACS community has been simply amazing in their enthusiasm to accept the concept of hosting visitors. I am both thankful and very proud that we are successfully welcoming large numbers of student and adult guests into our homes for events of this sort. I am looking forward to holding more events of this nature.

Congratulations to all the players and to their coaches Oscar Boustany, girls coach and Rani Ghaziri, boys coach for their outstanding work in guiding their teams. Special thanks go to Hassan Orfali, Martin Mugharbil, the ACS PE department, physical plant, D&A, Tarek Moussally and International College as well as the ACS administration. Your ongoing support helps make all this happen.


METS Varsity Soccer International Tournament 2011Timothy Doran, Athletic Director/Activities Coordinator

The 2011 edition of the 9th traditional end of season Varsity soccer tournament was indeed a wonderful event full of excitement and thrills. This tournament differed from all its predecessors by being exclusively an event for international schools.

ACS and International College co-sponsored this tournament and this year, for the first time in 5 years, ACS families hosted over 60 visiting players in their homes for 3 or 4 nights. Our guests were from Amman Baccalaureate School, Schutz American School, Alexandria and ICARDA International School, Aleppo. The other participants in this tournament were King’s Academy, Amman and ACS/IC.

Since matches ran from morning to night over three days, the players were able to show their skills in front of hundreds of spectators at both ACS and at IC. As usual in early December the soccer players were also treated to some of Mother Nature’s wrath in the form of torrential downpours and high winds. This was a classic test of determination and courage on the sport ground.

In the playoffs ACS girls were seeded first and qualified for the finals while our boys, with a very strong first tournament day of three victories, ended up with second seed. International College showed some outstanding play from both girls and boys teams earning top seeds and both made it through to the finals. Once again, as has happened numerous times over the past nine years, it was a neighborhood final battle of ACS vs. IC. The two final matches in this event were worthy of filming as they were like a roller coaster on the loose. Players were flying all over the pitch at breakneck speeds. Shots were monstrous in power and as rapid as an artillery barrage.

The girls’ finals went to extra time. The crowd was screaming and everyone’s guts were twisting as the ball flew from one end of the pitch to the other and when the whistle blew it was the terror of every player’s nightmare: penalties! Final result: ACS Girls Champions scored 3 penalties and IC scored 2 penalties.

The boys’ final was equally agonizing to watch. At a score of ACS 1-0 since early on in the match, IC put on the pressure and rockets were flying off the IC players boots. When the IC shots didn’t fly wide, our goalie was snatching them, leaping up, punching them away or diving like an acrobat to save the day once more. Final result: ACS 1 - International College 0.

ACS/IC InternationalSwimming ChampionshipNovember 18-19th, 2011Nouwar Beydoun, ACS Swim Coachand Linda Mondol, ACS teacher and parent of swim team members

• This event was held at AUB 25 meter pool with Touch Pad Electric timing. • Participating schools included: International College; ACS Beirut; Lincoln School, Ghana; AIS West, Egypt. • ACS Beirut hosted 36 visiting students and coaches from Ghana and Egypt in the homes of community members.• 85 swimmers participated in total. • 52 races were held including: freestyle, breast-stroke, backstroke, butterfly, individual medley, free relay and medley relay. • Approximately 300 medals were distributed.• Dozens of personal best times were set and ONE LEBANESE NATIONAL RECORD was broken.

As rain poured down during the International Swim Meet here at the beautiful AUB campus, it gave the kids all the water they could possibly want—inside and outside of the pool. As a matter of fact, one of the students from AIS West that we hosted mentioned how nice it was to see the rain, as he rarely sees it around his own home.

The event was fabulous, the swimmers seemed to really enjoy themselves and were cheered on by peers, siblings, parents and teachers. The camaraderie among the swimmers is a good example of what sportsmanship should be like!

The competition was keen with each one of our 21 ACS swimmers receiving at least one medal during the lovely awards ceremony in an AUB auditorium. There were also two trophies that went to the visiting schools for coming so far to participate. This event could not have taken place without the support of our ACS parents and staff willing to host our international swimmers and coaches.

ChampionsAnthony Khoury - Captain of Varsity Volleyball Team 2011

People may say “Volleyball is not a real sport like football and basketball.” Yes, volleyball may be less tiring than the other two sports. However, volleyball is a sport of intelligence, faith and strength. This year, we, the Varsity Volleyball Boys team of ACS Beirut travelled to Amman, Jordan for the METS Tournament that King’s Academy was hosting. The tournament included 5 teams including ACS. Because of all the practice and we got before we travelled, we ended up wining the championship match against King’s Academy in their home court. Also, 2 weeks after we got back to Lebanon, we had another tournament on our home court that also included 5 teams. We won that tournament as well. We went undefeated this volleyball season. Along with both trophies of both tournaments, we thank our MVP player Dani Fuleihan as well, for helping us remain undefeated. Volleyball 2011 is a year that ACS will never ever forget thanks to this year’s varsity team that took the sport very seriously and won it with all their hearts for coach CHAAAAA and for themselves. As the captain of the team, I personally am very proud of all the players on the team for putting all their effort in winning both trophies this year.

Thank you

JV Girls Sportsmanship Awardees at METSDanai El Hajj Ibrahim, Alumni Affairs Officer, Development and Alumni Affairs Office

On November 17th the JV Volleyball teams flew out to Amman, Jordan to compete in this year’s METS tournament. Upon arrival the girls had 3 back-to-back games coming out victorious in some and head down in others. Yet the day did not end with disappointment, there was always the anticipation of the next day. Day 2 came and both boys and girls played remarkably well. Seeing them get up over the net to take hits, using every serve they have to earn points and receiving every ball that came their way, the girls fought hard as a team. The trip came to an end without a victory of being champs, but with the greatest victory of all, the team with the best sportsmanship during the tournament. Most importantly they came back home feeling like they were one entity, a family, a team. Congratulations to both JV Boys and Girls for finding what makes an athlete truly remarkable: sportsmanship.


ACS Debate and ForensicsReem Chamseddine, Grade 11and Janis Preston, Teacher and Forensics Coach

On November 30th, 2011, ten members of the high school debate and forensics team left for Jordan, along with two of their coaches, Mrs. Preston and Ms. Quezzaire, to participate in the ISAC International Debate and Forensics tournament hosted by ACS Amman. Over the following four days, students competed in each of their two events four times. Competition was stiff but the ACS Falcons proved themselves worthy to represent ACS Beirut throughout the tournament.

Although we had the smallest team at the tournament, ACS Beirut placed third. Members representing our school in the finals were: Ayman Makarem - serious oral interpretation, Ramzi Elkawa - comic oral interpretation, Reem Chamseddine - impromptu speaking and extemporaneous speaking, Maryam Badran - original oratory and impromptu, and Carolyn Rossell and Ramzi Elkawa - serious duet acting. Reem Chamseddine placed first in impromptu speaking and Maryam Badran placed second in original oratory.

Aside from those moments when students were busy reviewing their lines and reciting their speeches, they had the opportunity to visit Jurash and Mount Nebo. They made new friends, saw new sites, and worked on their performance skills. Overall, this trip not only challenged their performing and debating skills, but was also fun.

The team missed their other two coaches on the trip, Mr. Jim Mclean and Mr. Steve Wasem, who worked hard with students before the tournament.

Roque

What do think about school?I think school is a place for learning and making friends.

What can you do to make a better school?Not bully.

Do you feel safe in school?Yes, very much because the teachers help me.

What do you like about school?I like how people are kind and you learn a lot.

Is the learning good?Yes, because the teachers explain what to do and they explain why we are learning it.

Sereen

What would you change about school?I wouldn’t change anything about school because it’s great.

What can you do to make a better school?We can be a good example for the smaller kids.

Do you feel safe in school?Yes because of the teachers and the guards.

What do you like about school?I like everything because the learning is good.

Jack

What do you like about school?I like meeting friends and learning.

What can you do to make a better school?Clean up after ourselves for example, pick up pencils.

Do you feel safe in school?Definitely because of the guards and the teachers help.

What do you like about school?I like to learn and go on trips.

Is the learning good?Definitely, it’s really good and we have really good supplies.

From this interview we have learned that many agree about the question: What do you like about school? They like the learning, and from that we understand that the learning in school works for the students.

ACS a Better School?Simen Almaas, 5D

What can we do to make a better school? This topic helps us know what we can do to make a better school so everyone feels safe when they come to school. I have also chosen this topic because I think it’s interesting to know what other people are thinking about school; it’s interesting to compare people’s opinions. I have chosen three people in 5D to interview. I have chosen Roque Gelacio because I wanted to know what he thought about things we can do to make a better school. I have chosen Sereen Husari because I wanted to know the perspective of a girl. I have chosen Jack Kemp because he is in student council.

Biggest Event at ACSRyan Alame, 5D

I am writing this article so students are happy with our school and in order to celebrate what our school has accomplished. I also want students attend events ACS plans. In order to help students know how many amazing things our school has paid for and accomplished in the past and present, here are the things I want to know:

What is the biggest event in ACS?What is the hardest thing to do in a big event? How long did it take to prepare some of

the biggest events?What are some of the many big changes from then and now?How long did it take to prepare an event back then?How many people do you have to get to pull off an event?How much money does it take to work out an event?How many big events were canceled? How were the big events back then?What was the main attraction of the events back then?

Guess who will give the answers to you? Me, Ryan Alame! First, you should know what the biggest event is: it’s the Pep Rally. What do you think is the hardest thing to do in a big event? Dr. Damon thinks the hardest thing to do is to work out the details. Can you believe that it takes eight months to prepare an event? Dr. Damon also said that there is a difference from when he started at the school; nowadays we have more parent

and student volunteers working with the Development Office to organize events. All school events have turned out to be successful. Do you know how many people must attend the event to pay the bills? Depends on how big and what type of event. Do you know how much money it takes? It can take little or no money as the school works hard to limit the costs. There is another difference from when Dr. Damon started till now; it is that there are a lot more events now. Dr. Damon also told me that he thinks the main attraction is being together. Thanks for reading my article.


History of Big EventsAneese Jaffa, 5D

It is very important that students attend the carnivals and events at ACS, to show appreciation to their school and celebrate what ACS has accomplished. I have interviewed Dr. George Damon and music teacher, Mr. Jeremy Chapman, about the history of big events.

During 2003-2011, the biggest events were the prep rally and the carnival. They were the biggest events because they had a lot of space and lots of people attending. To prepare the carnivals, ACS would rent, buy, or ask parents to donate. Student council would help organize events. Usually, ACS would have small events away from school such as plays and concerts. To set up an event (within the school) it would take 1,500 people, because people in ACS would contact other people to bring certain equipment. The money added up to enter a big event would be $3,000 because loads of people would attend, and the price is at least 10-15 L.L. In 2010, 2 events were postponed: field day (because of rain) and the carnival (because of political problems). The biggest number of people who would attend to the events was 1,800. The most popular event was the carnival because it was organized to have fun. The events had big differences back then from now because back then there were not many events and now there are carnivals and more trips students have organized.

School events are really important because they show what the school has accomplished, and they help the school be a better place to be!

TransitionsLea Hajjali, 5D

All students wonder how it’s going to feel to go to the next grade. I interviewed Mr. Jeremy Chapman, because he was in ACS when he was a child and now he’s a teacher in ACS.

1. Lea Hajjali: Were you here in elementary, middle school, and high school at ACS?Mr. Jeremy Chapman: No, I was only here in elementary.

2. LH: How long were you in elementary?JC: I was here in grade 1 till grade 4, from 1978-1982.

3. LH: Did you like ACS?JC: Yes, I used to walk in the courtyard.4. LH: Were you happy moving up grades?JC: Yes, because I got to meet new friends.5. LH: How did you feel moving up grades and why?JC: I felt nervous, because I was meeting a new teacher.

Everyone is waiting to move up a level, unless they are in high school, then they are waiting to go to college. It was a fun interview. I think it’s really interesting that Mr. Chapman was in ACS as a student and now he’s a teacher!

There is something interesting about Mr. Andre Bechara, the environment educationalist. That is why I went to his office for his most exciting and scary story:HA: What is your most exciting and scary event at ACS?AB: It was a field trip in Dar-el Kamar.HA: What happened?AB: We were in our tents in the middle of the night, and suddenly there was a lightning strike, thunder, and pouring rain. So we went into the lodge and we put our sleeping bags on the floor and slept. The next morning, Mr. Wissam [Assouad] made us hot chocolate, tea, and a very nice breakfast.

HA: Who was with you?AB: I had 15 high school students and Mr. Wissam with me.HA: How did this happen?AB: We knew that there was going to be bad weather but not that bad, so we were not prepared.HA: How did you feel?AB: We felt scared and cramped up when we went to the lodge, it was cozy and it was an unforgettable time.HA: When did this happen?AB: Last year in March.

HA: What is your experience with this event?AB: Even when there are problems if you know how to manage and you have a safe haven nearby you can always enjoy the situation for yourself and students.HA: What do you want students to look out for?AB: Safety, listening to instructions, following rules, be well equipped, rest, learn, have fun, and most important, come back with unforgettable memories.Here is my advice: listen to his words, they are wise. Mr. Andre is smart, and he knows what to do when there is trouble.

Interviewing Mr. Andre BecharaHadi Abdallah, 5D

Field TripsLea Hajjali, 5D

Students at ACS get the opportunity to go on educational and fun field trips. I interviewed Ghinwa Husari and Mr. Andrea Bechara. I interviewed Ghinwa because she has been in this school since KG1, and now she is in grade 9. I interviewed Mr. Andrea Bechara because he plans all the trips.

Ghinwa Husari

1. Lea Hajjali: What are the grade 6, 7, and 8 trips?Ghinwa Husari: The grade 6 trip is Jordan, the grade 7 trip is space camp in Turkey, the grade 8 trip is Greece.

2. LH: Are the grade 6, 7, and 8 trips educational and fun?GH: Yes, you learn a lot of things while having fun.

3. LH: What advice would you give the fifth graders?GH: That they stay strong and have fun.

4. Are there any trips in grade 9?GH: Yes so far there were two.

5. LH: Do you like the trips?GH: Yes they are very fun.

Mr. Andrea Bechara

6. LH: Does it take a lot of time to plan the trips?Mr. Andrea Bechara: Yes.

7. LH: Do you ever have to skip your plans to go on trips?AB: Yes most of the time.

8. LH: Do you go on trips with middle school?AB: Yes I go with daycare till high school on trips.

9. LH: Do you like going on the trips?AB: Yes it’s a pleasure. I think it’s a chance for students to experience nature.

10. LH: Is it hard planning the trips?AB: Yes, because I have to check the weather.

11. LH: What are the difficulties you face?AB: Planning the trips, and finding the right time.

12. LH: Does anyone help you prepare anything?AB: Yes, there is my assistant, Wissam.

I loved interviewing Ghinwa and Mr. Andrea, because they gave me great answers and complete sentences. These interviews made me excited for middle school and the trips we will take.


Welcome to 6th GradeJack Louis Kemp, 5D

As a student half way through my last year in elementary, the transition between divisions piqued my curiosity. Even though some teachers don’t consider the transition between elementary and middle school the most important, Mrs. Sara Khoury disagreed, “I think that the transition is the biggest transition students go through in their student lives,” she said, as I questioned her on the transition.

A step into middle school also comes with some requirements, “You definitely need more responsibility,” stated Mohammad Hijazi, a newly promoted 6th grader.

Mrs. Khoury also thought that moving into 6th grade required increased responsibility, “Going from E.S. to M.S. is going from being with one room with teachers coming to you to suddenly having a locker outside the classroom and having to organize yourself, you need to organize your time, you have to remember your schedule and were the rooms are, so there’s a lot of new responsibility that falls on the students’ shoulders.” The chance to have the time and space to move freely also requires enhanced independence.

Excitement has stirred around the 5th grade hall as the thought of moving up has passed around the students. I asked Hadi Abdallah how excited he was, “I am extremely excited,” he said, “but I will miss this building.”

I asked Mohammad, “I much prefer M.S.,” he answered with enthusiasm.

Moving into middle school is very exciting and moving in will be extremely nerve-wracking, and as 2011 comes to a close the transition is ever closer.

Bullies in ACSDanny Eter, 5D

Bullying is a problem at every school, including ACS. I wanted to know what to watch out for when I get into high school, and I want to know what older bullies are like. I hope that bullies will read this article and stop bullying others. I wrote a survey that was given to three high school bullies to learn about their motives.

Have you ever engaged in bully behavior?Student 1: Yes. Student 2: Yes.Student 3: Yes.

Do you think you could treat people in a better way? 1. Yes.2. Yes. 3. Yes.

How do you feel when you are treating people unkindly?1. Sometimes happy.2. Because I felt superior even though I wasn’t.3. I feel nothing.

Why do you sometimes treat people unkindly?1. For fun.2. Depending on why I am treating people unkindly, I feel a certain way… If people deserve it, I don’t feel anything, and If they don’t, I usually feel guilty.3. It’s funny/for fun.

Have you ever picked on someone smaller than you?1. Yes.2. Yes.3. No.

Have you ever been picked on? If so, how did it feel?1. Yes, it felt awful.2. No. 3. No.

Have you ever faced consequences for treating people unkindly? If yes did it make you change your behavior?1. Yes I went to the principal’s once. But the change of behavior? No. 2. Yes I have… Most of the time.3. No

You don’t have to be a bully to be cool. So don’t be a bully because it is mean, harsh and disrespectful. I hope this article will help bullies change. Thank you for your time.

Portrait of One ACS FamilyJuliana Abdulrahim, 5D

Part I

This part of the article is about me, Juliana Abdulrahim. I think moving from elementary school to middle school is going to be pretty exciting. I’m excited for a lot of things. It’s going to be really nice having our own locker, not cubby. I’m super excited about not having to walk in line from class to class. MS is going to be hard (I’m guessing). I’m really going to miss, Mrs. Coffey she is a great teacher. I’m actually scared because I asked some people how their experience was and they said it was nice but scary because you are the youngest in MS. My sister said that her best year was 8th grade so I’m excited for 8th grade. The last year of elementary is going well so far. It’s really cool and fun to be the seniors of elementary. Well I hope 6th grade is going to be fun. So wish me good luck readers.

Part II

This part of the interview is about my sister, Tatiana Abdulrahim. I interviewed Tatiana because she’s been here since 5th grade and this year she is graduating High school. Tatiana came from Cyprus; her school was AISC (American International School of Cyprus) Tatiana has been waiting to graduate from HS for a long time. Tatiana enjoyed her MS graduation more than her ES, because she said “you begin to think about what interests you and what your future might be like.” Tatiana is leaving for college she’s either going to London or to the US. Tatiana doesn’t find 12th grade hard she finds it stressful because she has school work, college applications, and her art portfolio but she’s very excited because it’s her last year. Tatiana says that ACS has changed every year in both good and bad ways. Tatiana’s favorite subjects are Art and Photography because those are her passions. Also because Mrs. McKone teaches her both those classes and she said, “I’d be nowhere without her patience, encouragement, and helpfulness.”

In Tatiana’s case it wasn’t hard for her to adjust because the people were friendly to her so it took her a quicker time than she thought it would.

Tatiana isn’t nervous at all to start college; in fact, she said she couldn’t wait to. Although Tatiana did say, “I am going to miss my family and friends.”

Part III

This part of the interview is about my dad, Bassem Abdulrahim. I interviewed Bassem Abdulrahim because when he was six years old he went to boarding school. The name of his boarding school is called Chouf National College. Bassem felt very lonely in the first couple of years. It was very hard for him because he missed is home and family. After a while it became his home and he got used to it. Bassem didn’t have an opinion on going to boarding school because he was till very young. Bassem’s parents had to go abroad for a couple of years, so that’s why he had to go to boarding school. Bassem always felt homesick but he said, “I can say I did feel better after the first year.” Bassem did enjoy boarding school. Some of his friends from that boarding school are still his friends up to today.

Chouf National College is still a school but not a boarding school. Bassem changed schools again when he was in 11th grade to another boarding school called Greenfield College. He graduated from there.

JA: Can you rate both your schools on a scale from 1-10?

BA: I rate them both an 8. I hope you liked hearing about the different experiences my family has had.

Mr. BokeSereen Husari, 5D

Dear Students, Faculty and Teachers,

Nicholas Boke is a fascinating person. Mr. Boke is an English and History teacher in the ACS high school. I find him interesting because he is fun, smart, and a very good teacher. This is what we talked about:

When were you at ACS?From 1957-1961 [as a student] and 2007- 2012 [as a teacher].

Which courses are your favorite, Social Studies or English?I like them both.

What is your favorite Lebanese food? Mannoush with Zaatar.

What part of Lebanon you like the most?Beirut.

What do you like best about ACS?I like everything!

What do you love most about English? I love helping people see how complicated it is.

Thank you for reading my article. I hope you learned about Mr. Boke because he is an amazing English and History teacher. I think everyone should meet Mr. Boke because he is leaving this year. Everyone should really experience a conversation with him!


Interview with Lara SabraLea Sabra, 5D

I am interviewing 8th grader Lara Sabra, because she has been in ACS for a long time! I wanted to know some things about her opinion regarding Elementary School, Middle School, and her going to High School next year. Here are some questions…

How were your elementary years?They were really good years for me. I enjoyed them very much because the work was very easy.

How was your first year in Middle School?It was scary because they were a lot of older kids, and the work was harder than before.How is Middle School overall?It is a good experience, and I’m sort of sad to leave it next year.

Which do you like more, Elementary or Middle School?I like Elementary more.

Why do you like Elementary more?I like it more because it was easier and we had fun during school.

How do you feel about going to High School?I feel nervous and excited, because I’m starting High School and again I’m going to be the youngest one because 9th grade is the lowest grade in High School, and excited because I’m starting a new division.

Now I know what it will feel like going to Middle School and High School. I feel excited and scared at the same time; I know the first year in Middle School will be unforgettable.

Ms. Hite MattersHadi Abdallah, 5D

Hadi Abdallah stopped by the new principal’s office to see how things were going and to learn more about Ms. Sandra Hite. Let’s see how things went:

How are you finding ACS so far? I find it to be a warm community; it’s busy, fun, and challenging.

How many years have you been a principal? Ten years.

Were you a teacher before being a principal? Y Did you like it? I loved it.

Did you like being a teacher or a principal more? I still see myself as a teacher.

Did you have any jobs before being a teacher? I tutored when I was in college and high school, and I worked in a hardware store, but after that straight to teaching.How did you become a principal? I was a teacher, and someone told me I would be a really good principal.

How did you feel? I found it upsetting, because I was happy being teacher, but I finally tried it out and there is nothing different, except that you are being a teacher of the whole school.

Where have you served as a principal? London, England; Beijing China; and Beirut, Lebanon.

At what age did you start your career? I started at age 21.

How do you feel about being a principal here? It suits me, I am working among some of the most dedicated people, everyone is delightful, has potential, and the school is challenging in a good way.

Last, are you enjoying your time here? I am loving my time here.

I sincerely thank Mrs. Hite for her hospitality, for accepting to share her experience with us, and for her contributions and services at ACS. I hope she continues to enjoy her time here. She leaves us with this thought,’’School should be a fun and happy place.’’

Transition to HSManuel Sanchez, 5D

The transition from middle school to high school is hard and there are different issues students must deal with. You’re more mature in high school so you’re able to do more things and buy supplies for your classes. I interviewed two high school students so that when I get to high school, most of my questions will be answered. These are my questions:

1. Do you like high school?High school student 1: Yes.High school student 2: Yes I like high school because it is an important time in our lives.

2. Did you like your time in A.C.S.?H.S.S.1: Yes I met a bunch of people that I’ll know for a really long time. H.S.S. 2: Yes I like A.C.S.

3. Is the homework hard? H.S.S.1: No, so don’t worry. H.S.S.2: As long as you paid attention in class, it’s alright. It helps you review the lesson.

4. Is it hard to move from middle school to high school? H.S.S.1: Nope, not much difference just a little bit more work.H.S.S.2: The transition from middle school to high school will be challenging, but it gets easier eventually. Once you get the hang of it it’s smooth sailing from there.

5. Is it true that you get to pick your classes? H.S.S.1: Yes in 11th and 12th grade. H.S.S.2: Yes you do get to choose which science course to take (biology, chemistry, or physics) language (French or Arabic), I don’t know about Lebanese Baccalaureate.

6. What is the biggest difference between middle school and high school?H.S.S.1: I guess the whole concept of high school is the stuff we learn, the teachers, the equipment, the thinking and preparing for the rest of our lives… H.S.S.2: there is definitely more work in high school and much more effort expected but it helps you prepare for university life.

7. What do you like about high school?H.S.S.1: All the things you get to do and learn. It’s really not as scary as you think, just enjoy it!H.S.S.2: High school is when you discover yourself, and when life gets more serious.

Now that most of my questions are answered, high school will not be so hard. This is not just for me, but for other fifth graders as well.

ACS MascotNour Koleilat, 5D

You might think jealousy led me to write this article; you see, when I went to the pep rally, everybody was cheering for him and even shaking his hand. I guess you’re wondering who “he” is; he is the ACS mascot, Sebastian Shehadi. I had the opportunity to interview him to learn how it feels to be the ACS mascot.

1. How does it feel to be the ACS knight?I feel proud and honored.

2. How did you get chosen?I think I was chosen because I did drama.

3. Is school spirit important to you? Why?Yes, because it brings the student body together.

4. How does wearing the costume change you?I don’t feel like me, I feel like the knight.

5. What is your favorite part of the job?Getting photos with people and seeing how excited people get around the knight.

7. Did you want to be ACS mascot?Of course!

8. Is being the ACS mascot important to you?Yes! It’s my last year so it feels good to be able to contribute to the community.

The ACS mascot is more than just a costume; he represents ACS by showing school spirit. The ACS mascot shows us as students, how to represent ACS and inspires us to be proud of ACS.


Article about Performing ArtsSamar Chehab, 5D

High SchoolRoque C. Gelacio Jr., 5D

High School: the last and hardest step to finishing school. I interviewed two high school students to know what’s going to happen when we get to high school. These are my questions:

1. What do you like about High School?H.S.S.#1- Closer to finishing school.H.S.S.#2- It’s the time in your life when you discover yourself.2. Do you feel safe in school?H.S.S. #1- Yes. If you’re concerned about bullies, they’re nothing to worry about. Don’t let them get to you, because once you do, they’ve won.H.S.S.#2- Yes, High School is a pretty safe place and there is nothing to worry about as long as you do your own thing.

3. Are you learning a lot in High School?H.S.S.#1- Yes. High school is an opportunity to expand my perspectives so that I can figure out what I want to do with my life. H.S.S.#2- Yes. It is preparing me for the life after High School.4. Do you make a lot of projects in High School?H.S.S.#1- Yes. Especially in IB, from what I hear.H.S.S.#2- Yep! They will get harder but it’s just one more thing to overcome in order to prepare for college.5. How was your transition from Middle School to High School?H.S.S. #1- It was surprisingly easy. A bit more work than what I was used to, but I got the hang of it after a while.H.S.S. #2- It was overwhelming at first but everyone goes through it and adjusting to the extra work is pretty easy, put little more effort in what you do and you’ll be ok.

6. Are the homeworks hard?H.S.S. #1- No, they’re just extra practice to make sure that you got the lesson. H.S.S. #2- As long as you paid attention in class, it’s alright. Helps you review the lesson.7. What will you do when you finish High School?H.S.S.#1- I will definitely go to university but where I’m going and what course I’m taking is still tentative. H.S.S.#2- I will attend a university, hopefully abroad, and then I will be independently living on my own.

I thanked the two high school students and walked away, knowing what will happen when we get to High School and to know what is possible and what is not.

The visual and performing arts inspire students and help you learn in a nice and creative way. I wanted to interview the middle school music teacher, Mr. Jeremy Chapman because I think it is important for parents, children, and teachers to understand the importance of preforming arts.

Why do you like teaching music?I like teaching music because I think it is a subject that inspires students.

What kind of music is your class doing?We are doing a lot of band music.

Do you play an instrument? If yes what kind?The instruments that I play are the saxophone and flute.

What got you interested in music?Well, I grew up listening to music.

Is there anything else you like to teach other than music?I taught drama.

How do you feel music has changed in general?Now there is a lot of electronic music, hip hop, and rap.Do you think the audience is more interested than before?Now the music is better.

I hope you enjoyed Mr. Chapman’s perspective. As a choir student, music has inspired me. Thank you Mr. Chapman for taking time and letting me interview you.

I interviewed Mr. James McLean because I think drama also inspires many people because it is creative, funny, and has different genres. Here is what he said:

What do you like about teaching drama?I like different ways to look at the same thing. Let me give you a quote: “Theater is life, Life is theater.”

Did you preform plays?Yes and I still do.

Do students enjoy this subject?Yes, they do.

Do you think the audience looks up to your creations?Yes, I think so, not only my creations but drama in general.How long have you been teaching drama?I have been teaching drama for 30 years.

How do you feel the plays have changed?They have become more pertinent.

Do you think the audience is more interested than before?No, I think they were more interested before.

Those were Mr. McLean’s wonderful words. They inspired me and I am sure they inspired you, too. I hope you better understand the meaning of preforming arts. I did. Thank you, Mr. McLean!

The history of ACS is a very important topic for students and teachers, so we can learn about our school’s history. I was curious about the history of the school so I decided to get information about it, but of course I can’t tell you all the answers because ACS has a very long history.

From 1905 till 2011, ACS has grown a lot and the purpose of that is for the students’ education. ACS is a very good school but we want to be better.

Margaret Bliss was the first person to attend ACS. She went to college then came back to be a teacher. She was a very smart and active girl and she liked to play around all the time.

Like Margret Bliss, Belle Dorman is an important girl in the history of ACS. She was the daughter of the president of AUB and she was in charge of the Girl Scouts group. Belle is a very interesting girl. She was too short for her age and she is an interesting person to research about.

At first, ACS was called the Faculty School because it was only allowed to let in the children of AUB professors, but now all Lebanese children and kids from other countries can attend.

The last thing I want to say is that this research about ACS has changed my mind in a very good way. ACS has a lot of things I like about it. I have been here for about ten years and I will stay here till I graduate!

The History of ACSSarah Jaber, 5D


Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) -Teachers Travel First Class to Abu Dhabi ConferenceWafa Kays, AFL Teacher

Five teachers in the Arabic department traveled to Abu Dhabi on Oct 27 to join in the educational “ NESA Fall Institute,” where teachers from all over the region come to learn and share their knowledge and expertise with fellow teachers in a variety of workshops.

Our Arabic Presenter Dr. Wafa Hassan from Michigan State University was an expert on curriculum and assessment. She focused on student’s growth in the learning process and their ability to apply what they learn in and outside the classroom. She emphasized the importance of standard-based teaching, “knowing our students,” and added that “teachers need to tailor to their students’ needs” using differentiation.

On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to thank our Arabic Coordinator Mrs. Hanadi Dayyeh and ACS Curriculum Coordinator Mr. Lee Koran for giving us the opportunity to join in such a learning experience. We felt so proud representing ACS, and sharing how we teach using authentic material, integrating technology, and assessing our students’ learning in different kinds of assessment.

YES! We traveled First class! All five teachers!

Hurray to AFL and the Arabic Department!

Thanksgiving DayReem Chamseddine, Grade 11 English, NHS Member

High school students and faculty lined up to fill their plates with turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, banana bread, and delicious pie at ACS on Thursday, November the 24th in celebration of Thanksgiving.

This buffet was organized by the National Honor Society (NHS) students, in an effort to get the high school to enjoy and appreciate the traditional American holiday. As students and teachers made their way to the auditorium, where the buffet took place, NHS members were present to serve the food and to share some of their homemade Thanksgiving Day food items. While music played in the background, everyone ate and had a good time.

And although some students and teachers do not usually celebrate Thanksgiving, there was a sense of gathering among everyone at the lunch, which was very nice to see because it embodied the spirit of Thanksgiving itself.

The best part, however, is that all NHS proceeds from the buffet will be going to benefit a part of the community.

¬When Chemistry Students Think Together Dania Maaliki Tarabishi, Science Department Head & Chemistry (IB/10) Teacher

At the end of the units related to structure of the atom and periodic trends, students in the grade 10 chemistry class were asked to work together as a class on answering a specific question and… acting it out!

In preparing them to develop the characteristic of the IB Learner Profile, students were asked to be inquirers (Inquirers: they develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning*), thinkers (Thinkers: They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions*), communicators (Communicators: They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others*) and risk-takers (Risk-takers: They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies*).

After the evolution and structure of the atom has been studied, students were given T-shirts of three different colors, each representing protons, electrons or neutrons. They were then asked to go out in the courtyard and decide together on the best way to represent a given atom. This was a great opportunity to clarify the role of neutrons and the non-static behavior of sub-atomic particles!

In the second mini-project, after learning about periodic trends, students were each given the symbol of an element and were asked to decide together on the best way to organize themselves correctly according to a given periodic trend. This was a fun opportunity to fine-tune students’ understandings.

As a time limit was given to achieve the given task, it was delightful to observe students quickly assign roles, discuss strategies and outcomes, and organize themselves according to the given parameters. This feedback was common to teacher and students too, as their reflections testify:

“I really enjoyed the outside activities,” said Lilinaz Rouhani “it made us become involved in the lesson and learn more. At first, I had a little trouble with understanding the periodic trends, but after the activity I fully understood the subject. I think I would learn chemistry faster and easier if we had more of these activities.”

Aya Fadlallah mentioned “This term, we had several class projects. For example, we had an atomic models project and a subatomic particles project. For the atomic models project, we had to create our own way to help other students understand the different types of atomic models. This project was really hard though as finding a unique way to represent the models wasn’t an easy thing to do. For the subatomic particles project, we had to arrange ourselves in order according to what the teacher said using different colors of t-shirts that symbolized different subatomic particles. However, this project was extremely fun as we didn’t have much time so everyone was rushing, which was entertaining.”

Hiro Otsuka said “Our class went outside to physically draw an element. We wore different shirts, each representing proton, neutron, or an electron. This activity was really refreshing, because it was a different way of understanding the concept. Nothing but communicating with everyone at once was challenging. Of course, knowing the movement of subatomic particles and where they were located in the atom helped me understand what to do. Maybe taking a small 5 minute break during class, and going outside sometime would refresh everyone’s brain, just like this situation.”


Nazek Dalloul said “I really enjoy the projects assigned in this class. I like how in the projects we use our creativity and knowledge. The rubric given is very clear and this allows us to succeed in it. Those projects allow me to research interesting and new facts about chemistry that I was never aware of. I really like how the teacher made us wear protons, electrons and neutrons t-shirts to represent an atom. This allowed us to really visualize what happens in an atom. In my opinion the teacher should often assign projects at home and at school as it in a way teaches us the lesson we’re learning in class in a fun way and at the same time helps us raise our grades.”

Adriana Smith said “I think the atom project – in which each member of the class for either an electron, proton, or neutron and had to organize themselves into an atom – was an effective tool for revision. By doing so we had to remember that electrons would be as far away from each other as possible, as their like charges repel, but would also be attracted to the protons and orbit around the nucleus. I think our class did well in forming the atom quickly and accurately.”

For both tasks, after some struggling, the mission was accomplished successfully.

Great team-work, sophomores!!!*from the IBO Official Chemistry Guide.

Learning about Electricity and Magnetism in Grade EightSimon BarakatMS Science Facilitator and Grade 8 Teacher

We have started the year in grade eight with Physics, Electricity and Magnetism. Like every year, students start the unit with a feeling of discomfort and sense of complexity. However, it fades away very quickly as they get deeply engaged in the hands-on activities and lab experiments that are inquiry-based to enhance their understanding, engagement and interest. I enjoy seeing students spend a lot of time in the science lab in the morning, on breaks and after school working on various projects of their interest. I am always pleased to see the students interested in learning the subject matter, especially when they go beyond the expectations and start to apply what they have learned in new life situations. Some students chose to build a DC doorbell, and others a horn.

Technology is an integral part of science learning. Students have been using various digital and computer-based equipment in their experiments and they are requested to use various computer software to sketch, tabulate, and graph their data and present their outcome.

Garbis Chekerdjian, 8-1

A DC electric motor is a simple device that converts electrical energy to kinetic. That was an easy part to learn, but we had to build one and make it work!!!

The motor is made up of two magnets, coil wrapped around an armature on an iron core, two stands to hold the axis in place, and a commutator. A commutator is made of a round object that is an insulator and two pieces of conductors wrapped around it so that the current stays flowing in one direction as the coil rotates. The two ends of the coil have to be connected to the commutator. The opposite poles of the magnet have to be facing the armature. When the battery is connected to the commutator, current will flow through it and into the coil leading to the production of a magnetic field. This will cause the coil to rotate. The magnetic field of the coil will make it repel from the magnetic field of the permanent magnets around it. The commutator keeps the current flowing in one direction so like poles of magnetic fields produced by the coil (electromagnet) and the permanent magnets keep on repelling causing the armature to continuously spin.

We did it!!! With the help of our teacher, each and every eighth grader built a motor, using mostly recycled materials, and ended up making it work. There was so much excitement trying to overcome many problems that we faced along the way.

That was not it! We had to present it on a 5 minutes video. Again, we have learned a lot in terms of movie making as we had to insert many short pieces of video together and add text and subtitles.

We, as a class, have enjoyed a lot working on this project despite all the frustration and challenge that we faced during the process. Most importantly, we have learned that everything is possible with persistence and perseverance and that science can be applied in daily life.

Aya Shaeto 8-1It took me quite some time to be able to come out with a proposal about my DC Motor design. Finally, and with the help of my teacher, I managed to submit a complete proposal that was approved by my teacher. I had to make what’s on paper become real. That was a great challenge for me. It took a lot of work and modifications, and sometimes re-doing. Finally it worked and spun unstoppably. That was so much fun!

The Simple DC Electric Motor


Electromagnets Can be So Much FunYootaek Oh, 8-5

Towards the end of quarter one, we started a very exciting activity in which we used an iron nail, copper wire, and a 6V battery to create an electromagnet. What we did was we got the iron nail and wrapped it in 10 layers of copper wire and connected the two ends of the wires to the 6V battery. The iron nail became a magnet. You might be surprised, but iron is a magnetic material, and moving electrons produce a magnetic field causing the domains (tiny magnets) in the iron piece to line up in one direction making it a magnet. That was not it! We approached it to one pole of a permanent magnet; it repelled. Then when we switched the direction of current flow by switching the wires on the battery; it attracted to that pole. The direction of current flows determines which pole is North and South. As we did this activity we learned a lot of knowledge about magnets and magnetism and a lot of skills on how to build one and test its poles. To all those students out there, “Science” can be so much fun!

Strength of a Magnetic FieldTamara Hallak 8-1

A magnetic field is a field of magnetic forces surrounding a magnet. When a metal object approaches the field, it becomes a temporary magnet, because when it’s in the field all of its domains will align to face the permanent magnet.

In one of the experiments we used Vernier digital equipment. It was so interesting to observe the strength of the magnetic field and how it varies along a bar magnet. We used a Magnetic Field Sensor to collect data. We were divided into groups of two and started collecting data at different distances around the magnet starting from 3 cm away from the south pole until we passed the north pole by 3 cm of a permanent bar magnet.

We started collecting our data at 1 cm intervals. It was interesting to see that the magnetic field is strongest around the poles and it gets weak as we move away from the poles or towards the middle where it reaches a point of zero magnetic field. It was also interesting to see the change in sign. The magnetic field had a negative value around the south pole and a positive value around the north pole.

After collecting our results and tabulating them, each student had to plot it on a graph. It’s an easy process once we had our data ready. We constructed our graph and had to answer a series of analysis and critical thinking questions that are related to it. The questions also involved predictions of different situations that are related to the experiment.

I really enjoyed this activity, like my classmates. It did not only involve measurements and data collection, but many scientific and math-related skills that are not activity specific.

Historical Fiction NewsletterElizabeth Grissom, English, SS Teacher Grade 8

Was that Napoleon Bonaparte walking down the hallways of the middle school? Wait, why is a Japanese princess, a rider of the Pony Express, and a World War 1 Soldier making their way to Room 205? During the month of November, 8th Grade English students presented their Historical Fiction Newsletters in costume to classmates.

Students chose an historical fiction novel to read and enjoy, then they researched true historical events that took place during the time period of their selected novel. Creative juices flowed as the students acted as journalists to compose a newsletter combining the results of their research with articles based on the story elements from their novel. They even included authentic “extras” from their time period such as advertisements, obituaries, possible upcoming events, a help wanted section, and letters to the editor.

Let’s be honest, over the past decade ACS has become somewhat less rich in Lebanese patriotism. Sure, we celebrate Independence Day and have Lebanese flags strung up around the school, but which movies and music are ACS students interested in? Rarely will you catch an ACS student listening to Arabic music on an iPod, or get excited to see a new Lebanese production in the cinema. It is clear that ACS students have developed a far more Western mentality than any other school in Beirut. While this is definitely not a bad thing, it is important to keep in mind what country we are in and try to preserve Lebanese culture throughout the school.

Last year, Ms. Rima Zein, the Lebanese Baccalaureate coordinator, selected six LB students, including myself, to run a new group called “Get To Know Lebanon.” The initial goal behind this group was to raise awareness about different Lebanese areas and fundraise to support these areas with whatever they need. The six selected students agreed that it was a good idea and decided to go through with it. This year, I realized that the group had gone through a rough patch and simply needed to be revived. I recruited several juniors and got to work. The new group met

together, both junior and senior LB students, and agreed that the goal of the group should be to evoke long lost ACS pride in Lebanon. In addition, we hope to support Lebanese areas in different ways.

Our future plans include a movie night that supports the movie “Hala La Wen”, and “Lebanese night,” a culturally rich night filled with food and skits.

“Get To Know Lebanon”Malek Sadder, Grade 12 LB (Life Science)

Using layout programs, students designed impressive, professional-looking newsletters that covered periods in history such as the Roman Empire, the Middle-Ages, the Renaissance, right through the World Wars. Audience members were treated to engaging presentations that made history come alive in English class!


Clay in Early YearsJosephine Gallagher, Atelierista

Early Years teachers and the atelierista began this year with the idea of focusing students’ attention on one chosen material, allowing them to explore this material in depth and over time. In two of the classrooms, the material chosen was clay.

Clay is a material that offers rich opportunities for thinking about three-dimensional representation, a concept and a skill that is neither easy nor self-evident, and that calls for observation and deep thinking.

For this child of five, the instinct was to use clay like a drawing material: her cat is flat and two-dimensional on the paper.

As many children seemed to approach the clay in this way, we began to encourage them to think about form as well as shape, pointing out that depending on the angle you look at something it will always look different.

This same child, having understood a very different way of representing things, made a cat again, but this time it did not look the same.

As we continued to explore other ways of playing with clay, children got the opportunity to use the potter’s wheel.

We observed and understood the qualities of clay, how it dries, hardens and shrinks.

In one of the classrooms we observed an interest in creating stories and making books. As clay was already a material familiar to them, children have been creating stories with clay:

In another classroom, in which children are working on a tree project, small groups have been making clay leaves as a gift to one of the trees in the atelier.

Fall Mini-NESA Conference: Stimulating and PracticalElizabeth Grissom, English, SS Teacher Grade 8

Over 350 staff and faculty members from 20 different schools gathered at ACS on Friday, November 4, 2011 for the annual Mini-NESA conference. For those unfamiliar with the term, NESA stands for Near East South Asia Association and includes schools throughout our region. Participants as far as Aleppo, Syria attended our conference organized by Talar Partiyan, ACS’s Middle School Science teacher.

Mahmoud Natout, a doctoral student in Educational Studies at the University of Oxford and a presenter at the TEDxBeirut conference, started the plenary session as our guest speaker. Mahmoud’s focus was on the relationship between the teacher and student over time, and the impact of that relationship on the learner. His interactive style grabbed the attention of the audience and set the day on a positive course.

Thirty-six workshop and discussion group sessions were led by ACS faculty and guest presenters and topics ranged from “Action Research for Change,” to “Can We Teach Persistence and Perseverance,” to “Conceptual Math in Primary Grades.” Lucy Thompson, an ACS 4th grade homeroom teacher, shared many of the teachers’ sentiments when she commented, “The last session was so useful that every teacher walking out of the room left with an idea to implement in their class immediately.” Lucy was referring to Maya Chawich’s workshop, “Eliminating Bullying through Interactive Literacy.”

So many helpful workshops were offered that teachers could not attend all those that they were interested in attending. Karim Abu Haydar, ACS Middle School Principal, remedied this problem by inviting faculty to present their workshops to peers during faculty meetings. The Middle School faculty has already benefited from Oulaya Samhoun-Jawad’s presentation on “Managing Stress”, and Science teachers Simon and Maya Mouhaidly’s talk on “Inquiry-based Learning in the Science Class”.

The top three or four rated workshop presenters will get to attend the NESA Spring Educators Conference, an international annual event which will be held at the Intercontinental in Athens in early April.

ACS History Part 2Wade Morris, History Teacher, Grade 10

On the morning of Monday, May 19, 1941, the Second World War brought an early end to A.C.S.’s school year.1 Lebanon at that point was controlled by Vichy France, which was allied with Nazi Germany. Beirutis were bracing themselves for a British and Free French attack from Palestine, thus creating a bizarre episode of the war in which French soldiers fought French soldiers. It was, in Samir Kassir’s words, a “fratricidal war”.2 By 1941, Ras Beirut was sprinkled with trenches, anti-aircraft artillery, and Vichy French soldiers. The atmosphere was tense.

Around 9:00 am that Monday morning, Bayard Dodge, the President of A.U.B., held a meeting with Curtis Strong, the Principal of A.C.S. Dodge shared with Strong “secret intelligence” that the British were about to invade Lebanon. Dodge suggested to Strong that A.C.S. immediately close for the school year and evacuate its students and faculty.3

Curtis Strong was finishing his first year as an administrator. Until the fall of 1940, Strong had been a beloved high school English teacher at A.C.S. The school consisted of boarding and day students, with just over 60 students from kindergarten through grade 12. Strong, despite his inexperience, did not hesitate in that moment. He left A.U.B.’s campus, walked two blocks up Jeanne D’Arc to the A.C.S. campus and called an impromptu assembly. At the assembly, Strong informed the student body that “school was over for the year… jubilation reigned”.4

Decades later, Curtis Strong was still impressed with the efficiency and focus of the A.C.S. faculty in this moment of anxiety. Since the school year was over, final grades had to be calculated. Teachers wrote personalized report cards for each student. Then teachers organized school supplies and locked up the facility, all in expectation that A.C.S. could reopen in the near future. Strong led the intense, quick operation. After he left in the evacuation of Beirut, he never returned to work at A.C.S. 5

Most A.C.S. families fled to Jerusalem either on Tuesday, May 20 or Wednesday, May 21. A.C.S. families formed two caravans of taxis, passing through roadblocks at Sidon, Tyre and at the Palestinian border. At each stop they were met by “sinister looking” Vichy French soldiers and “surly French officers”. As one A.C.S. student wrote years later, “As we drove through the tunnel at Ras Naqqura we saw a British [soldier] silhouetted against the sky at the Palestinian end… My mother burst into tears.”6

The intelligence that the A.U.B. president shared with Strong had been correct. Two weeks after the closing of A.C.S. the British invaded Lebanon. There were 29 nights of bombardment, culminating with the British capture of Beirut on July 14. That was the end of the fighting in Beirut but it was not the end

1- David West, email message to author, November 28, 2011.2- Samir Kassir, Beirut, translated by M.B. DeBevoise (Berkeley: University of California, 2010) 342.3- George B. Steward, letter to Albert W. Staub, June 14, 1941, A.U.B. archives. 4- Jonathan Stacey, ed, A History of the American Community School at Beirut (Beirut: Alumni Association of the American Community School at Beirut, Inc, 1997) 32.5- Stacey, A History of the American Community School at Beirut, 31-32.6- Allen West, email message to Fadwa Ghannoum, December 3, 2010.

of the instability. For the remainder of World War II, periodic protests against colonial rule plus fear of food shortages erupted into violence.

In this midst of this uncertainty, a young woman, just twenty-two years old, became the leader of A.C.S. Her name was Ivy Cleo. She was the child of a British father and Polish mother and had attended A.C.S. from 1926 to 1935. In 1941, the wife of the President of A.U.B. handpicked Cleo, who had just one year of teaching experience, to be the new principal of A.C.S.

With Cleo as the school’s leader, A.C.S. reopened its doors in October 1941. Cleo put together a team of five teachers: two returnees from the previous year and three new hires. Madame Holenkoff, a popular Russian-born French language teacher, returned to her post, as did Kenneth Crose ’34, an A.C.S. graduate and humanities teacher. There was a new teacher from Denmark who was in charge of Junior High. Finally there were two new teachers for math and science, one Lebanese and one Armenian. Cleo taught English literature and Latin.


They had just 30 pupils. There were a few students, the children of Christian

missionaries, who remained behind after the evacuation, but they were not enough to keep the school open. To fill enrollment, Cleo sought “local people”.7 Thus, A.C.S., which had been a predominantly American school up to that point, became a bit more Lebanese in its student population.

Classes, already small before the war, became even smaller. Cleo’s English literature class consisted of just two pupils who met in her office.8 Just like during the First World War, parents volunteered in order to fill the other teaching vacancies. “We used to have a lot of the A.C.S. and A.U.B. professors’ wives [teach] the remedial subjects,” Cleo stated in a later interview.9 A.C.S.’s wartime students remembered classes feeling more like one-on-one tutorial sessions than traditional school.10

In this environment, Cleo made a major change with long-term consequences. She hired a local Lebanese woman to teach Arabic. For 36 years, A.C.S. had never offered the Arabic language as a class. It was an oversight that several students found perplexing. “I had always thought the non-teaching of Arabic a strange lacuna in the curriculum,” Cleo explained years later.11 Indeed, Cleo felt that the failure to offer Arabic to children living in an Arabic-speaking country “was a terrible, terrible, oversight”. The irony is that, despite growing up in Beirut, Cleo never learned how to read or write in Arabic. Perhaps that personal desire to learn the language led her to push so passionately to offer the subject.12

When the war ended in the spring of 1945, Ivy Cleo did not return to A.C.S. as principal in the fall. “The governing

7- Ivy Cleo Bishop. Interview by Ibtissam Saadawi. Transcribed from a video recording. Beirut, Lebanon, December 22, 1996.8- Bishop interview9- Bishop interview10- Elizabeth West FitzHugh, “Thoughts on ACS, 1932-1941,” A.C.S. Archives.11- Stacey, A History of the American Community School at Beirut, 33.12- Bishop interview

board decided, very naturally,” Cleo wrote years later, “to re-employ American staff. It was suggested I should stay

on as one of the teachers but I did not think this was a very good idea vis-à-vis the pupils.” The Board, in seeking to return A.C.S. to its pre-war American identity, demoted its non-American principal (Cleo was British and Polish), replaced the wartime local hires with foreigners, and stopped offering Arabic. Instead of accepting the changes, Cleo “bade farewell to four very happy years” as the school’s principal.13

In the midst of the wartime excitement and her responsibilities as the leader of A.C.S., Ivy Cleo met, fell in love with, and married a British officer stationed in Beirut. She was 25 years old at the time and she became Ivy Cleo Bishop.14 They eventually moved to England, had three sons, and lived together for 25 years before her husband’s early death in 1969.

Cleo’s tenure as the school principal during World War II foreshadowed a reoccurring theme in school history. In the crisis of war, Cleo turned to Lebanese students and faculty for survival, forcing the school out of its self-imposed American bubble. A.C.S. thus became a more dynamic, less culturally isolated place. The moment foreshadowed, albeit briefly, A.C.S.’s

21st century dual-identity: both foreign and local, both English-speaking and Arabic-speaking, both American and Lebanese.

13- Stacey, A History of the American Community School at Beirut, 35.14- Bishop interview

Digital Photography Two Heads for the Mountains Tatiana Abdulrahim and Dayana Houry on behalf of the Digital Photography 2 Class

At the end of a seven hour bus journey we were all excited to finally be in Al Jourd! After settling into our tents and eating lunch we began hiking up the Al-Jourd Mountains to photograph the beautiful landscape, open skies and rolling mist. On this trip we were to shoot in RAW format to photograph portraits, landscapes, panoramas and images in HDR. Along with Ms. McKone, our instructor, the class was lucky to have Johnny Khawand, Wissam Assouad and Ms. Thiel along to assist us with our photography skills and techniques. After photographing for a few hours after the sunset the class headed back to our tents where we warmed up and bonded over snacks and music. As night fell we got restless, and began a game of WOLF. Blinded by the darkness, and listening to the whispering sounds of the trees, various shrieks and screams could be heard throughout the Al-Jourd forest! After a dinner of local organic foods, we headed down to the large bonfire where we would begin our nighttime photography experience. The flames of the fire and dramatic night skies presenting clouds, stars and lighting all at the same time became our subject matter. Johnny Khawand shared his expertise of nighttime photography, instructing us on the manual settings that would be ideal for this spectacular night sky. The freezing night forced us to head back to our tents, where we snuggled into our sleeping bags and tried to sleep despite the cold! Although Ms. McKone attempted to wake her students up for the sun rise, none of us were able to rise at 5:00 am. We enjoyed our experience and took incredible photos while developing new technical skills. We hope to continue enjoying similar trips throughout this year.

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67 Nigeria Street, Jal el-BahrP.O.Box 11-8129, Riad El Solh,Beirut 2035-8003, LebanonTel: 961 [1] 374 370 Fax: 961 [1] 366 050www.acs.edu.lb

ACS Matters is prepared and produced by the Developmentand Alumni Affairs [email protected]

This year we have a new community service opportunity for our students. ACS students will be volunteering with” Habitat for Humanity” to renovate houses for needy families. On Saturday November 5 ACS students went to the South and worked on 2 houses near Nabatiye. Both houses are owned by people with disabilities and who are part of South Lebanon Society for the Blind, an organization that “Habitat for Humanity” Lebanon works with.

The first home belonged to an elderly blind women and need many repairs. ACS students did the finishing of the painting and touched up the inside of the house. Even though the home needed painting on both the inside and the outside but because the weather did not allow it, the students painted the inside of the house.

The second home belonged to an elderly couple. The husband is disable and has random panic attacks, and their son, daughter in law and their 3 daughters share the house with them. The house also needed many repairs and the students worked for almost 3 hours to paint a large hallway that connects the rooms together.

Now we have a group of IB students, as their CAS project, are planning to organize fundraising activities to raise enough money to be able to sponsor a house and do all the work it needs. The work on the house will be done either towards the end of this school year or the beginning of next school year. They will choose the house for Habitat for humanity list according to the money they raise. The cost to renovate a house ranges from $1000 - $4000.

Habitat For Humanity Community Service Huda Shatah, Community Service Coordinator

acs beirut - matters...on friday, october 21st, the peer and senior mentors ventured up to the acs...

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